Pneumatic cleaning means for carding machines



April 25, 1957 v o. BASS, JR., ETAL 3,315,320

PNEUMATIC CLEANING MEANS FOR CARDING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 23, 1965 INVENTORS TR A v V 1 RS 03 HA B A R VA C ATTORNEY April 1967 o. BASS, JR, ETAL 3,315,320

PNEUMATIC CLEANING MEANS FOR CARDING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 23, 1965 INVENTORS' IVAN HORVAT OSCAR BASS, JR.

ATTORNEY April 25, 1967 o. BASS;JR.. ETAL 3,315,320

PNEUMATIC CLEANING MEANS FOR CARDING MACHINES Filed Aug. 23, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS IVAN HORVAT OSCAR BASS, JR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,315,320 PNEUMATIC CLEANING MEANS FOR CARDING MACHINES Oscar Bass, Jr., Charlotte, N.C., and Ivan Horvat, Zagreb, Yugoslavia, assignors to R. B. Jenkins & Co., Inc., Gastonia, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Aug. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 481,659 4 Claims. (Cl. 19-107) This invention relates generally to pneumatic cleaning means for textile machinery, and, more particularly, to a novel suction nozzle adapted for use on a carding machine to reduce blowout and to remove lint, dust and fly from the licker-in end of the machine.

As the textile industry began to press for production at higher and higher speeds, and, in response thereto, as conventional carding machinery was used at higher and higher speeds, the consequential blowout or emission of lint, dust, and fly became a great problem in that the air in the carding machinery room became greatly overladen with lint and fly, in that the machinery therein became coated with the lint, dust and fly, in that the room became quite uncomfortable to work in, and particularly in that the lint and fly-laden air and machinery resulted in a slow-down of production and in an inferior grade of sliver. In response to the problem, pneumatic cleaning apparatus was developed.

Early attempts at at providing pneumatic cleaning apparatus included the positioning of a massive suction hood over the entire car-ding machine or, in the alternative, the enclosure of large sections of the machine and evacuation of these large enclosed sections by suctions of large intensity. These attempts proved unsatisfactory in that productions of suctions of great intensity were required in order that the apparatus be effective in reducing the atmospheric content of lint and fly. Additionally, installation of this apparatus was an expensive and timeconsuming process. The apparatus as installed impeded the necessary access to various sections of the operating machine and proved to be ineffective to reduce the blowout associated with carding machinery ope-rated at the high rates of speed now used.

Subsequent designs for pneumatic cleaning apparatus have included the provision of various types of suction nozzles positioned on the machine at various points wherein the production of substantial concentrations of blowout could be alleviated. It is in combination with this type of cleaning apparatus that the novel suction means of the invention is particularly useful. One pneumatic cleaning system with which the nozzle according to the invention is particularly usefulis that disclosed in a co-pending application by Ivan Horvat, a c-o-inventor of this invention, which co-pending application was filed in the United States Patent Office July 27, 1964, under Ser. No. 385,354 and entitled Pneumatic Cleaning Unit for Textile Machines. One form of the nozzle according to the invention is disclosed in that application.

One area of the machine wherein occurs an intense blowout of lint, dust and fly is in the vicinity of the feed roll and the licker-in roll. This blowout is occasioned by the high velocity surface air currents generated by the rapid rotation of the licker-in and the main cylinder which are compressed by the licker-in bonnet and screen, and by the tendency of fibres to become loosened or separated from the web at and adjacent the licker-in,

as when the web is bent over the peak or crown of the feed plate and fed onto the rapidly rotating licker-in roll. Other fibres and foreign matter are loosened from the web by the compressed surface air currents as the web moves beneath the licker-in and contribute to the concentration of fibres dispersed in the atmosphere as a sizable quantity of the said surface air currents pass from under the lickerin bonnet into the atmosphere adjacent the feed roll and the conventional back knife plate of the main cylinder.

One attempt to combat the dispersion of lint, dust and fly at the licker-in end of the machine is disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,612,581 to Holden, which teaches the use of separate dust rolls over the opening between the licker-in bonnet and the back knife plate and over the feed roll to collect the lint, dust and fly dispersed at these two points. Dust rolls have proved to be increasingly inetficient in collecting lint and fly as the carding machine is operated at higher and higher speeds.

Other attempts to reduce blowout include the approach disclosed in United States Letters Patent Nos. 2,983,966 to Brown et a1. and 3,084,179 to Hall wherein the lickerin bonnet was replaced with a special cover designed to cause the natural air currents generated by the rotating lieker-in roll and main cylinder to carry dispersed fibres and trash back into the web prior to its introduction under the feed roll. While the use of these covers do tend to partially reduce the concentration of lint, etc. in the blowout, the covers are objectionable for certain desired qualities of carding in that the short fibres and trash should be removed from the lap prior to working by the flats rather than purposely laid back onto the lap. Otherwise, the short fibres tend to produce neps which impede the desired parallelization of fibres during-the carding operation and adversely affect subsequent dyeing operations.

One means and method of applying suction to the licker-in is shown in United States Letters Patent No. 3,150,415 to Reiterer which teaches the use of a suction hood provided with a perforated plate mounted closely adjacent the lic'ker-in surface and connected to a source of suction. Such a device replaces the licker-in bonnet and applies suction directly to the entire upper periphery of the licker-in roll with the consequent danger of stripping usable long fibres from the licker-in roll which would otherwise be retained by the compressed surface air currents for subsequent delivery to the main cylinder. -It has been found that the excessive waste engendered by Reiterers perforated plate can be eliminated while attaining the desired cleaning and control of the air currents created through rapid rotation of the licker-in roll by confining the application of suction to the web transfer points at either side of the licker-in roll.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novel suction nozzle adapted to be connected to any suitable suction source and arranged in overlying relation to the licker-in cover to collect lint and fly at both sides of the licker-in, i.e., at the feed roll, and at the opening between the licker-in cover and the back knife plate. Arranged in this manner, the nozzle effectively draws off or diverts from the atmosphere great quantities of the machine generated and lint-laden compressed air currents by directing them into the suction system as they escape from beneath the licker-in bonnet. This is an important feature of the invention. The suction inlets of the present nozzle are not directed toward the licker-in roll and are separated therefrom by the licker-in cover, thereby avoiding the danger of excessive waste by stripping off desirably long fibres.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel licker-in suction nozzle, the use of which eliminates the need for dust rolls at the licker-in end of the machine.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel licker-in suction nozzle and associated suction system which can be easily and inexpensively fabricated and quickly installed as an accessory on a conventional carding machine.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a novel means and method of discriminately collecting undesirably short fibres and trash from the web prior to its introduction by the main cylinder to the working area of the flats.

Having stated some of the objects of the invention, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the claims and to the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a carding machine having mounted thereon a self-contained suction system which includes the novel suction nozzle of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the novel suction nozzle as positioned over the licker-in bonnet of a conventional carding machine;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 in FIGURE 2 and showing the suction nozzle in operative position on the licker-in bonnet;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view looking at the top and one end of the nozzle removed from the machine; and

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, but looking at the bottom and the other end of the nozzle.

As most clearly appears from FIGURES 1 and 2, the invention is particularly adapted to be used in conjunction with a carding machine which includes a main carding cylinder 11 and a licker-in roll 12. A portion of the periphery of the main cylinder adjacent the licker-in roll is covered by a back knife plate 13 and the upper periphery of the licker-in roll is covered by a licker -in bonnet or cover 14 which for the purpose of the invention is spaced slightly from the plate 13 to define an opening or space S extending across the machine. A lap W of textile material to be processed on the carding machine is fed to the licker-in roll 12 across a feed plate 15 by a feed roll 16.

The forward end of the feed plate 15 adjacent the licker-in roll 12 includes an upstanding end portion or crown 17 which extends between the peripheries of the licker-in roll 12 and the feed roll 16 and across which the lap W is fed immediately prior to its delivery to the licker-in roll 12. The licker-in roll 12 and the main cylinder rotate at a considerably faster rate of speed than the feed roll 16 with the result that a large quantity of short fibres are released from the lap W as it is passed sharply about the projection or crown 17 on the forward end of the feed plate 15 as the lap W passes on tothe licker-in roll 12. The lap W is subjected to a cleansing action during which foreign matter including dirt, dust and fly is removed from the web during its passage about the lower periphery of the licker-in roll 12 and prior to its delivery to the rapidly rotating main cylinder 11 and its associated flats 18.

The area beneath the carding machine 10 is generally closed in an effort to prevent the short fibres, dirt, dust, fly, lint and other foreign matter released from the web during its processing from being released into the atmosphere about the card and much of the lint, fly, etc. thus generated is in fact trapped in the enclosed area beneath the carding machine. Despite this precaution, however, considerable quantities of the lint, fly, etc. are normally expelled into the atmosphere about the carding machine through the openings at either side of the licker-in bonnet 14, i.e. between the licker-in roll 12 and the feed roll 16 on one side and between the licker-in bonnet 14 and the back knife plate 13 on the other side. The structure thus far described is conventional and it is the control and collection of the fibres and foreign matter released by the conventional carding machinery at these two points with which the present invention is concerned.

According to the invention, a source of suction and a collection box 20 are conveniently located relative to the carding machine 10 from which a suction tube 21 extends to a suction nozzle 22 mounted on the licker-in bonnet 14.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 5, the nozzle 22 includes a hollow body portion or suction chamber 24 defined by an upstanding generally arcuate cover or top 25. A pair of elongated relatively narrow side walls 26 and 27 depend from opposite longitudinal edges of the top 25 and extend between the top wall 35 and a bottom wall 30, preferably shaped in cross section to conform to the curvature of the licker-in bonnet 14- on which it is adapted to be supported, as most clearly shown in FIGURE 3. So positioned, the side walls 26 and 27 extend 'in respective planes which converge adjacent the axis of the lickerin roll. The ends of the nozzle are closed by end walls 31 and 32. A nipple or sleeve 33 extends outwardly from the end wall 31 for providing communicative connection between the interior of the suction chamber 24 and the conduit 21. The side walls 26 and 27 have respective longitudinally extending slots 34 and 35, each extending substantially the entire length of its respective side wall between the end walls 31 and 32.

The nozzle 22 is so dimensioned that when positioned on the licker-in bonnet as shown in FIGURE 3 the suction inlet 34 is positioned or located immediately above the feed roll 16 while the suction inlet 35 is positioned above and directed toward the juncture of the licker-in bonnet 14 with the back knife plate 13. The area immediately above the feed roll is selectively closable by a plate or flap 36 which is articulated to the nozzle adjacent the juncture of the top wall with the side wall 26, as at 37. The free end of the extension plate 36 is supported by conventional web guides40 adjacent the longitudinal side edges of the feed plate. Arranged in this manner, the extension plate 36 overlies the suction inlet 34 as well as the feed roll thereby partially enclosing the area about the feed roll and increasing the efiiciency of the suction action at this point.

The licker-in roll rotates at a rapid rate of speed in the direction of the arrow in the drawings thereby creating surface currents of air which are compressed between the licker-in roll 12 and the licker-in bonnet 14, these compressed air currents being released in part at the edge of the bonnet 14 adjacent the feed roll 16 and in part through the space S between the bonnet 14 and the back knife plate 13. The currents of air are lintladen and have heretofore escaped into the atmosphere with considerable velocity. The small remainder of the surface air currents generated through the rapid rotation of the licker-in roll flow into the enclosed area beneath the carding machine. The suction inlet 35 also serves to draw off surface air currents generated by the rapidly rotating main cylinder 11 which pass through the space. S, thereby helping to relieve the superatmospheric: air pressure within the enclosed area beneath the carding machine.

As most clearly seen in FIGURE 3, the flap 36 is. supported in closely spaced relation above the feed roll 16 so that it defines an open-ended enclosure above the feed roll with which the suction inlet 34 communicates. Air is drawn into the open ends of the enclosure and across the upper periphery of the feed roll 16 to cleanse it of lint and short fibres remaining on the fluted roll 16 after it has delivered the lap W to the licker-in roll 12, it being noted that the feed roll 16 rotates in a counterclockwise direction in FIGURE 3, or toward the flap 36 from the peak 17 of the feed plate 15. The need for a dust roll to clean the feed roll is thus eliminated.

The short fibres and lint releastd from the lap W as it passes over the peak 17 and onto the licker-in roll 12 are similarly drawn into the enclosure beneath the flap 36 and carried into the suction inlet 34 by the licker-in surface air currents and by air drawn into the open ends of the enclosure and across the top of the feed roll.

The suction inlet 35 is spaced closely adjacent the back knife plate 13 and the space S between the plate 13 and the licker-in cover 14. So positioned, the inlet 35 is arranged to draw off surface air currents from the lickerin and the main cylinder which escape through the space S, carrying with them short fibres and lint released from the web as it is transferred from the licker-in to the main cylinder. It will, of course, be understood that the elongated strip of wood or metal which has heretofore been used to close the space S in an effort to prevent blowout at that point is removed for the purpose of the invention to open the space S for controlled release of the air currents and lint.

The back knife plate 13 and the proximate downwardly converging surface of the top wall 25 define an open ended trough beneath the *bight of the flats 18, into which accumulations of lint drop from the flats and the spaces created therebetween as they move around the bight above the licker-in. Accumulations of lint which thus fall toward the bottom of said trough-like area are effectively drawn into the suction inlet 35.

The suction inlets 34 and 35 each preferably taper outwardly from their ends adjacent the coupling 33 toward the end wall 32 of the nozzle 22 to provide substantially uniform suction throughout the length of the nozzle.

One important advantage of the invention as described is that the lint and short fibres which have heretofore been either released to the atmosphere or carried beneath the licker-in and through the screen with the relatively heavy motes, dirt and foreign matter are now collected separately through the nozzle 22 and delivered to a collection box substantially free of dirt, etc. -It will be apparent that the invention which separates the relatively light short fibres and lint from other undesirable relatively heavy matter released from the web at the lickerin screen makes possible a higher quality by-product of the carding operation than other cleaning systems previously known.

There is thus provided an improved suction nozzle for the licker-in end of a carding machine which effectively and discriminately removes short fibres and lint after they have been released from the web by conventional carding techniques.

In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

We claim:

1. A suction nozzle for use with the licker-in of a carding machine having a main cylinder, a licker-in roll and a licker-in bonnet and a feed roll, said nozzle com-' prising:

(a) a top wall;

(b) a bottom wall spaced from the top wall and shaped to conform to the configuration of the lickerin bonnet;

(c) a pair of spaced side walls extending between the top and bottom walls and lying in respective planes which converge adjacent the axis of the licker-in roll;

(i) each of said side walls having a suction orifice providing communication between the atmosphere and the interior of the nozzle;

(ii) one of said side walls with the orifice therein positioned so as to draw in air from the area where the licker-in roll and the main cylinder diverge,

(iii) the other of said side walls with the orifice therein positioned so as to draw in air from beneath the licker-in bonnet adjacent the feed roll;

(d) a pair of spaced end walls joined to the top, bottom and side walls; and

(e) a nipple extending through one wall of said pair of spaced end walls and adapted to provide communication between the interior of the nozzle and a source of suction.

2. A structureaccording to claim 1 which includes a flap extending from adjacent the jucture of the top wall with one of said side walls above its respective suction orifice and adapted to overlie the feed roll in closely spaced relation whereby suction currents may be induced across the upper periphery of the feed roll to remove lint and short fibres.

3. A suction nozzle for carding machines having a main cylinder, associated flats and a licker-in roll, an imperforate licker-in bonnet covering the licker-in roll and an imperforate back knife plate spaced from the bonnet and covering a portion of the periphery of the main cylinder adjacent the licker-in, a feed plate on the other side of the licker-in and a feed roll for feeding a web of textile material to the licker-in, said suction nozzle comprising:

(a) a suction chamber defined by;

(i) a bottom wall shaped to conform to the curvature of the licker-in bonnet and extending between the ends of the bonnet and the longitudinal edges of the bottom wall being spaced inwardly from the longitudinal edges of the bonnet;

(ii) a pair of downwardly converging spaced side walls rising from the longitudinal edges of the bottom wall and each of said side walls having a longitudinally extending suction orifice, one of said side walls with the orifice therein positioned so as to draw in air from the area where the back knife plate and the licker-in bonnet converge, and the other side wall with the orifice therein positioned so as to draw in lintladen air from beneath the licker-in bonnet adjacent the feed roll;

(iii) a vaulted top wall rising from said side walls and spaced above the bottom wall;

(iv) a pair of spaced end walls extending between the top and bottom and side walls and one of said end walls having a nipple extending therethrough adapted to provide communication between the suction chamber and a suction source;

(b) an air-diverting baffle fiap articulated to one side wall adjacent its juncture with the top waH and above its suction orifice and extending over said suction orifice in closely spaced superposed relation to the feed roll; and

(c) said nozzle being fastened on said licker-in bonnet beneath said flats with the suction orifices arranged to draw in air from adjacent the opposite longitudinal edges of the bonnet.

4. A suction nozzle for use with the licker-in end of a carding machine having a licker-in roll, a feed roll, a licker-in cover, and a back knife plate, said suction nozzle comprising a top wall spaced above the licker-in roll and having a first longitudinal edge adjacent the juncture of said back knife plate with said licker-in cover, said top wall having a second longitudinal edge spaced above the feed roll, a side wall depending from each longitudinal edge of said top wall and extending toward the licker-in roll, each of said side walls having a suction orifice providing communication between the atmosphere and the interiorbf the nozzle, means otherwise closing theinterior of the nozzle from communication with the atmosphere, and means connecting the interior of the nozzle to a source of suction.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,115,683 12/1963 Reiterer 19107 XR 8 a FOREIGN PATENTS 737,038 11/ 1955 Great Britain. 762,403 11/ 1956 Great Britain. 925,934 5/ 1963 Great Britain.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

DORSEY NEWTON, Examiner. 

4. A SUCTION NOZZLE FOR USE WITH THE LICKER-IN END OF A CARDING MACHINE HAVING A LICKER-IN ROLL, A FEED ROLL, A LICKER-IN COVER, AND A BACK KNIFE PLATE, SAID SUCTION NOZZLE COMPRISING A TOP WALL SPACED ABOVE THE LICKER-IN ROLL AND HAVING A FIRST LONGITUDINAL EDGE ADJACENT THE JUNCTURE OF SAID BACK KNIFE PLATE WITH SAID LICKER-IN COVER, SAID TOP WALL HAVING A SECOND LONGITUDINAL EDGE SPACED ABOVE THE FEED ROLL, A SIDE WALL DEPENDING FROM EACH LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID TOP WALL AND EXTENDING TOWARD THE LICKER-IN ROLL, EACH OF SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING A SUCTION ORIFICE PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE INTERIOR OF THE NOZZLE, MEANS OTHERWISE CLOSING THE INTERIOR OF THE NOZZLE FROM COMMUNICATION WITH THE ATMOSPHERE, AND MEANS CONNECTING THE INTERIOR OF THE NOZZLE TO A SOURCE OF SUCTION., 